Non-electronic toys?

madladybride

Hello all,

DD's first holidays are around the corner. My mom asked me what she should get for DD. I said take 1/3 of what you are going to spend and put it in her 529 plan. It doesn't matter what you get her, but no battery operated toys. Mom asked dog walker who said "there aren't any". Really?  My mom was like, "Don't worry, I''ll buy you extra batteries." My problem is that DD doesn't see all that interested in toys that light up or make noise. She's WAY more interested in us/the puppies.Plus, I feel like we would just get a crap ton of them.

Target/Walmart/TRU does sell non-battery operated toys, right?

Any suggestions or favorites that you have?

Cooper81

Pretty much anything Melissa & Doug. The flash sites (the foundary, zulily, totsy, one kings lane, idelli, et) have them on there all the time, but I've also seen them at HomeGoods/Marshalls/TJMax. Right now J loves the sorting cube, with the different shapes and with corresponding openings.

KathrynMD

DD has very few light up/battery toys.  A fair amount of plastic, but nothing electronic.

You can get lots of puzzles, manipulate-able toys at Target, Kohl's etc. - Melissa and Doug get mentioned alot, but Fisher Price and Playskool make some cute stuff too and I pretty much shop for 90% of my stuff at Target.  Lots of things w/ colors, letters, shapes, animals, etc. basic educational toys - so you can talk about colors and shapes, bigger/smaller, etc. any kid of dolls or animals would probably be good for your LO this year too.

KathrynMD

DD got this for her 1st birthday - big hit:

https://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-Wooden-Take-Along/dp/B00005RF5D/ref=pd_sim_t_2

also muscial instruments - drums, maracas, castenets (sp?)

KathrynMD

bath toys, bath books, etc. are also good for that age.

riding and push toys too - do you have a bubble popper?

DD had some kind of princess ride on car that was a big hit. 

idonthavethis

KathrynMD:

DD got this for her 1st birthday - big hit:

https://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-Wooden-Take-Along/dp/B00005RF5D/ref=pd_sim_t_2

also muscial instruments - drums, maracas, castenets (sp?)

LO LOVES her M&D "Band in a box".

madladybride

These are all great ideas! Thanks! We have this push thing with blocks that we got her for her 1st bday in January. We don't have a bubble popper yet, but that may be on the list.

I hesitate to get her dolls or other stuffed animals, as the dogs think those types of toys are for them. (We have a set of soft Baby Einstein Blocks that the dogs always try to grab and play with).

KathrynMD

madladybride:

These are all great ideas! Thanks! We have this push thing with blocks that we got her for her 1st bday in January. We don't have a bubble popper yet, but that may be on the list.

I hesitate to get her dolls or other stuffed animals, as the dogs think those types of toys are for them. (We have a set of soft Baby Einstein Blocks that the dogs always try to grab and play with).

hmmmmm - my cat hates all toys so this has never been an issue.  ..  maybe the dog owners can give some advice on this.  At some point you will have to cross this bridge anyway

madladybride

KathrynMD:

madladybride:

These are all great ideas! Thanks! We have this push thing with blocks that we got her for her 1st bday in January. We don't have a bubble popper yet, but that may be on the list.

I hesitate to get her dolls or other stuffed animals, as the dogs think those types of toys are for them. (We have a set of soft Baby Einstein Blocks that the dogs always try to grab and play with).

hmmmmm - my cat hates all toys so this has never been an issue.  ..  maybe the dog owners can give some advice on this.  At some point you will have to cross this bridge anyway

Dog #1 who REALLY likes stuffed toys is 10, so she won't be around much longer. Dog #2 isn't all that interested. However, my other problem is the DD is more interested in the dog's rope toys and bones, than she is in some of her toys (eww). Maybe because she doesn't have THOSE at dcp?

SnoopyLuv

Have her go to Amuse toys if she's local.

Lots of places have toys without batteries these days. We have lots of wood toys from Ikea of all places. 

 

Target has an amazing bead maze that gets rave reviews.

salc21

I don't know if your LO is old enough yet, but I know my nephew got a basketball hoop and a little ride on bike for his first birthday that he just loved!

lauranne

Ditto PPs on Melissa and Doug toys.  We also got Aiden a MagnaDoodle around that age (he would only eat crayons and wouldn't color with them) and he loved that.

 

Stacking cups, soft blocks, anything that can be sorted, knocked down, etc.

daisyterp

ditto Snoopy on Ikea- they have some great toys! I love their play kitchen- we don't have it, but several of our friends do and it's awesome. We have a lot of their stuff though, their play food is great. 

Manhattan Toy company and Plan Toys are both nice brands. A little further off for you, we have a Play Toys doll house we bought off of CL w/ all of the furniture, and DD "collects" Groovy Girls which are like a cross breed of rag dolls w/ innocent barbies. 

Each kid got a set of heavy-duty stacking cardboard boxes- we still have 1.75 sets (DS's set is fully intact, DD's set had one or 2 of the boxes break, get teethed on, etc.) and they are a big hit.

Good luck to you- I really tried to limit the batteries and the plastic and it was pretty much a fail!  

 

mommytoj

blocks! DD has Mega Bloks (like big legos) that she loves. Also books are always good.

jcsntms06

What about pull toys (although she may be just a tad too big for them at the moment), but later on she will love them. DD has a pull along dog. Definitely puzzles, shape sorter, books are another great toy.

jnealet

We have a ban on electronic toys at our house.  The noise they make annoys the heck out of me! 

For DD's first Christmas we got her a bunch of Fill and Spill toys.  She still plays with them.

 https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_pg_3?rh=n%3A165793011%2Cp_4%3AMelissa+%26+Doug&page=3&ie=UTF8&qid=1320850001&ajr=1#/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dtoys-and-games&field-keywords=fill+and+spill+toys&rh=n%3A165793011%2Ck%3Afill+and+spill+toys

Animal Magnets are also a big hit:

https://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-Animal-Magnets-Box/dp/B000N178E2/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1320850767&sr=1-1

 And these puzzles:

https://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-Magnetic-Hide-Board/dp/B0014E7DIS/ref=sr_1_7?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1320850804&sr=1-7

madladybride

Thanks for the ideas. My mom lives outside of Pittsburgh, so is definitely NOT local, which is part of the problem. I may ask how much she wants to spend and just buy the toys for her. (My mom has problems getting things done.) On the other hand, I don't want to take away the joy of my mom buying stuff for DD.